A tale of two Georgias: Nine Oaks Estate

Nine oaks is a newly created vineyard and winery in Kakheti Georgia. Despite not having any qvevris when they made their first vintage in 2016, the results are authentic and impressive.

Georgia's wines may be enjoying increasing fame, but there are still plenty of people out there whose first question will be "you mean the state in America, or the republic in the Caucasus?" A new producer based in the republic has made it all the more confusing. Its vivacious co-owner Anna Addison grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but now makes wine in Kahketi, Georgia.

There's a lot of investment pouring into new wineries and winemaking projects in Georgia, and definitely a feeling of bandwagon-jumping with somewhat variable results. Bought in grapes and bought in winemaking talent only gets you so far. So I was a bit sceptical when I heard about Anna's project - a new winery based in Eniseli, Kakheti, but not a qvevri in sight.

Nine Oaks was co-founded by Amsterdam-based creative director Anna, who is originally from Russian heritage, and her business partner and geomapper Mamuka Khurtsidze, who's also the winemaker. "I've always had a strong connection with Georgia, from my childhood vis…